Zombie Fun Run to benefit area Big Brothers Big Sisters

Shiraye Barris, a little sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Arkansas, gets a present at the organization’s annual Christmas party. The Zombie Fun Run 5K race at the beginning of November will provide money for the organization to host more events like this one.

BATESVILLE — Between The Walking Dead and movies like World War Z, the “zombie” craze is hard to miss, and Amanda Roberts, director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Arkansas, is using this trend to raise money for her organization.

The Zombie Fun Run fundraiser will be held Nov. 2 in Batesville.

“We have a board member who has wanted to launch a 5K for the agency, and we decided to give it a test run,”

Roberts said. “We wanted it to have some kind of theme.”

She said the board of directors brainstormed some dates, and the time they wanted to do the race fell around Halloween.

“The Walking Dead is really popular right now, and we wanted to have an element of fun and a night race,” Roberts said. “This will give people a chance to get their costumes back out and get out and have fun.”

Competitive runners and walkers alike will have an opportunity to take part in the run, while at the same time raising money for Big Brothers Big Sisters.

“We just want it to be fun. We want families to participate,” Roberts said.

Families can rest assured that no one will jump out and scare children or touch them, she said.

All of the money raised from the race will go to Big Brothers Big Sisters so the organization can host more activities for “bigs” and “littles.”

“We want to have them come together more and more,” Roberts said. “We try to do a big picnic every year for all of the bigs and littles to come together.”

In addition to the annual picnic, Roberts said, she wants to add more events to the calendar to promote self-esteem in young women.

“We want to do some self-esteem-building workshops and days together for [big and little sisters],” Roberts said. “We’re going to launch a day of pampering, where they can get their hair, nails and makeup done, and they’ll come together for a lunch.”

A keynote speaker will talk about how to feel good on the inside.

“So many of our kids at Big Brothers Big Sisters live where they don’t have two parents in the home,” Roberts said. “If their dad isn’t around, they don’t have that father figure. The girls get a lot of self-love from their mom, but dads give them just as much.”

Roberts is also looking to provide more activities for the big brothers and little brothers in the organization.

In addition to funding new activities at Big Brothers Big Sisters, Roberts said some of the money from the race will go toward funding the annual Christmas party.

To register for the Zombie Fun Run, go to www.wrroadrunners.org, and click on the “Club and Local Races” tab, and find the run on the list.

Registration is $20 for adults and $15 for participants 18 and younger. Registration the day of the race is $25 for all participants.

A makeup artist will be on hand to apply zombie makeup for a $10 donation, Roberts said. The race will begin at Eagle Mountain Magnet School in Batesville.

According to its website, Big Brothers Big Sisters is the largest one-to-one mentoring organization in the nation.

Staff writer Lisa Burnett can be reached at (501) 244-4307 or lburnett@arkansas